Sent on behalf of Prof Catherine Brace - if you know of any students who might be interested in
the projects listed below please could you pass on the details:
AHRC-funded Collaborative PhD Studentship
Department of Geography, School of Geography, Archaeology and Earth Resources, University of
Exeter, Cornwall Campus and Porthcurno Telegraph Museum.
Following the award of an extended programme of AHRC Collaborative PhD Studentships, the
University of Exeter, in partnership with Porthcurno Telegraph Museum, is seeking to appoint a
suitably qualified applicant for a doctoral studentship for three years commencing on 1 October
2008. Further appointments will be made in October 2009 and 2010.
The overall theme of the extended programme is “Themes in the Historical Geography of
Communication: the Eastern Telegraph Company to Cable and Wireless, 1869-1945”. Three PhD
projects have been identified under this broad theme, one of which will commence in October
2008 (in discussion between the supervisors and the successful candidate).
Visual culture and corporate identity:
Principal supervisor - Professor James Ryan; 2nd supervisor - Professor Catherine Brace
This project will examine the place of visual culture in the making of institutional company
narratives in the Eastern Telegraph Company in the nineteenth and twentieth century. It aims to
explore and explain the significant roles played by forms and technologies of visual media -
including advertising, photography and maps - within in the expansion of the telegraph and
communications industries in Britain and beyond. This project will be an original study into the
use of visual culture in a business context, looking particularly at the use of photographs, maps,
advertising and marketing material to narrate the Eastern Telegraph Company’s identity as a
significant empire-wide corporation.
Entwined business and imperial histories:
Principal supervisor - Dr Nicola Thomas; 2nd supervisor – Professor James Ryan
The entwined histories of business, commerce and ‘informal’ empire will be explored through the
case study of the British companies associated with supplying and maintaining telegraph
communication to China. It is anticipated that this research will contribute to the understanding
of the cultures of informal empire in China; the place of science and technology within the
imperial project; and intersections between imperialism and commerce in a Chinese context. This
project will provide new insights into the history of empire, focusing on the ways in which
commercial and political imperatives entwined in the business of global communications, using
the case study of China and Hong Kong.
The Strategic and tactical role of Cable and Wireless during the Second World War:
Principal supervisor - Professor Catherine Brace; 2nd supervisor – Dr Nicola Thomas
This project will supply a uniquely comprehensive study of the operations of a large company in
war time, focusing particularly on the defence of Cable and Wireless’s operations in the UK and
elsewhere, and its participation in secret activities, code breaking and intelligence. During the
Second World War, the operations of Cable and Wireless were critical; governments co-ordinated
policy, broadcasters received the latest war news and families exchanged messages with men
fighting overseas. Cables lent a tactical advantage; they could not be intercepted as radio signals
could, though cables were frequently cut. The relationship between government and private
business was renegotiated in light of the strategic importance of the company’s assets and
activities which allowed the integration of intelligence with decision-making. None of these
aspects of the company’s activities has previously been researched in any critical depth.
Under the terms of the AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Award Scheme, the successful applicant will
benefit from opportunities to work closely with Porthcurno Telegraph Museum team, who are
responsible for the management and promotion of the museum and its activities. This will involve
gaining first-hand experience of working on the management of the collection instead of simply
viewing it as a scholarly resource. The experience of working with this collection will enhance the
employment-related skills and training of the doctoral student. Specific skills related to the
handling, preservation and organisation of fragile archive material will be augmented by more
generic skills transferable into any workplace such as negotiating between priorities, managing
time and resources, working to a brief, working with others, and communicating findings to
expert and lay audiences. A key feature of this collaborative project is that the student will have
the opportunity to communicate the outputs of the PhD research to non-academic audiences
through, for example, exhibitions, WebPages, leaflets and talks.
This project should interest applicants with backgrounds in diverse disciplines and subject areas,
including, for example, cultural geography, historical geography, history. Applicants should hold
a 1st Class or Upper 2nd Class Honours degree in a relevant discipline. A Master’s degree, either
held or in progress, in a relevant area, would be an advantage. The successful applicant will
further benefit from working within a lively and expanding research environment within the
Department of Geography at the University of Exeter’s Cornwall Campus near Falmouth in
Cornwall (see http://www.sogaer.ex.ac.uk/geography/ for details of the department, and follow
the link on the left to Cornwall Campus).
The award will cover University tuition fees and provide a maintenance award of approximately
£12,940 per year for three years. The terms and conditions of the award will be those of the
AHRC’s postgraduate studentships. Applicants must therefore have a relevant connection with the
United Kingdom, usually through residence. For further information, or informal discussion about
the position, please contact: Professor Catherine Brace (email [log in to unmask], tel. 01326
371810).
Applicants should send a copy of their CV, with the names and addresses of 2 referees, plus a
statement outlining their academic interests and their reasons for wishing to undertake this
research project to: Helen Pisarska ([log in to unmask]). The deadline for applications
is Wednesday 30th April 2008. Interviews will be held at the Cornwall Campus on Tuesday 20th
May and Wednesday 21st May 2008 (applicants will need to be present for both days).
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